Death Cab for Cutie and Chvrches Turn North Carolina Shows Into Benefits

Death Cab for Cutie and tour partners Chvrches join the list of artists and bands fighting back against North Carolina’s controversial House Bill 2. Instead of canceling their upcoming shows in the state like Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas and others have done, both bands plan to turn their shows into benefits.

Even though they’ve gone ahead with the decision to perform in the state, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard announced the two shows will be the last the band books in North Carolina as long as H.B. 2 stands (via AltPress).

Death Cab for Cutie encouraged those unable to attend the shows to donate to two organizations, Southerners on New Ground and The Freedom Center. Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry said, “I know that our fans will join us and Death Cab in promoting equality, empathy and understanding between people, and we are proud to be supporting Freedom Center for Social Justice and Southerners On New Ground at this show.”

Read the full announcement below:

We, Death Cab for Cutie and Chvrches are deeply saddened by the recent passage of North Carolina’s hateful and dangerous House Bill 2 (aka, HB2 or the “bathroom law.”). We are appalled by how Governor Pat McCrory and his conservative cronies have stoked the flames of fear around an undocumented, non-issue (i.e., sexual predators posing as transgender for the purpose of molesting children) as a way to not only discriminate against transgender persons but also to undermine the constitutional rights of North Carolina’s entire LGBT community. This nefarious brand of bigotry is embarrassing for the state of North Carolina and has no place in this great nation.

Since the passage of this horrific legislation, we have been deliberating as to what to do about our show together in Charlotte on June 16 as well as Death Cab for Cutie’s show in Asheville on June 11. While we whole-heartedly support the decisions of our contemporaries to cancel their upcoming appearances in political protest, we have decided to honor our commitments and play. These shows will now be staged as benefits for two terrific North Carolina based organizations, Freedom Center for Social Justice and Southerners On New Ground (SONG), whom we admire for their tireless defense of LGBT rights in the state of North Carolina. We will not be taking a single dime from these shows. All profits will be donated to these important organizations.